Water-glass.



L. B. HOWELL.

WATER GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20, 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

fl munito@ rnb' Nnh'ms PETERS Cu.. PHOTO LITMU.4 winst/:Humm u l:

LESTER B. HOWELL, F WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.`

WATER-GLASS.

To all whomt may concern Be 1t known that I, LESTER BRYANT HOWELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, in the county ofNew Hanover and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in VVater-Glassesj; andI do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to emergency valves "as applied to boilers, andan object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyinjecting water into the boiler when the water in the boiler has reacheda prep boiler `ried by the water in the glass,

determined depth.

A further object of the invention is to equip the ordinary water gage ofa boiler with means for automatically actuating an injector for thepurpose of feeding water to the boiler. p

` With these and other objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown anddescribed, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, where similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts: Figure l is an end eleva-tion of a locomotiveshowing improvement connected thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticalcentral section through the water glass.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Boiler explosions are frequently caused by the evaporation of all of thewater in the boiler, this condition resulting `either from an oversighton the part of the attendant or from wilful neglect. W'hatever the causehowever, the almost invariable result of low water is an explosion, andto overcome this,

`my invention aims to associate with the water glass a mechanism whichwill positively prevent the complete evaporation of water in the boiler.In accomplishing this result, I provide a glass having` a float caranin]eetor or other steam-actuated means for forcing water into theboiler, and a valve actuated by the float and throwing the injector'into operation.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a boiler 1, which may bestationary, or

Specification of Letters Patent.

a water gage f2.

.and are provided with suitable Patented Nev. 24, 1914..

` Application` filed January 20, 1913. Serial No. 743,145.

type, has connected thereto The lower end of this` water gage is of theusual construction, having a water communication with the water of theboiler. The upper part of the gage is also of locomotive formed as areordinary watei gages,ibut has added thereto a closure 3 secured to theglass of the gage and having therein a passage which may communicate byany suitable pipe -l with the steam dome of the boiler. Screwed upon theclosure is a cap in the form of a hollow nut 5, the chamber 6 thereofcommunicatingby means `ofxa pipe `7 with a suitable cylinder 8. Theclosure 3 and the nut `.3 are secured tightly together, packing forpreventing the escape of steam. A fioat stem 9, the lower end of whichis provided with a float 10, passes slidably through openings 1l and l25, respectively, the prevent the escape of steam. Near the upper end ofthe stem 9, is provided a groove 13 of a length less than the distancebetween the top of nut 5, and the bottom of closure 3, but of greaterlength than the thickness of the closure. Vhile this particular form ofopening 13 has been shown, it is to be understood that various otherdesigns inay be formed in the stem to accomplish the saine result. Thecylinder 8 has mounted therein, a piston lll, the piston iod of which ispivotally connected t0 one end of a pivoted link l5, while the other endof the pivoted link l5 is connected in any suitable means to the handleof a steam injector 16. In the operation of this embodi-` ment of theinvention, it will be seenthat when the water falls in the gage, theHeat 10, which does not necessarily fit steam-tight against the walls ofthe gage, will descend with the water until the lower end of the groove13 passes below the lower surface of the closure. As soon as thislast-described condition takes place, steam will pass from the steamdome through the pipe l and passage, into the watei gage, up through thegroove 13 into the chamber 6 formed in the nut 5, and out through thepipe 7 to the cylinder 8, the steam acting upon the piston l-l to forcethe same outwardly for the establish communication between the cham-`ber 6 and the upper end 25 of the housing which forms an exhaust Jforthe steam behind the piston 14 so that the injectorstarter can return toits normal position as shown in Fig. 2. Thus it will be seen that assoon as the water reaches a predetermined depth in the boiler, and watergage, the injector is set into operation for forcing water into theboiler.

By preference the water gages are surrounded by a suitable casing 24which serves to protect thevglass or' the gage. a housing .25 can beerected upon the nut 5 for the protection of the upper'end of the vstem9 to prevent the same from becomingy bent through accident and therebydestroying the steam pipe fit which is necessary to the operation or'this device. I have shown no particular type of injector, insoinuch asany of the approved forms can be used and I do not wish to be limited tothe specific means shown 'for starting the injector by means of a systemof lever.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is: 1. In adevice of the class described, the combination with a gage having aclosure Copies of this patent may be obtained for It desired,

at its upper end provided with an opening and with a passagecommunicating with the interior of the gage, and a pipe leading fromsaid'passage; of a float within the gage, a stem rising from the samethrough said openingand having a longitudinal groove whose lower end isadapted to enter the gage when the water therein falls, a cap screwedupon the closure .and having anv opening through Awhich said, stempasses,; said cap also having an internal chamber, and a pipe leadingfrom this'chamber, for the purpose set iorth.

, 2. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith Aa gagehaving a closure at its upper end `provided with an opening vand with apassage communicating with the interior, of the gage, `and a pipeleading from said passage;- of a ioatwithin the gage, astem,` risingfrom the same through said opening and having a longitudinal groovewhose lower lend is adapted to enter the gage when the water thereinfalls, a cap nut screwed upon the closure and having an opening throughwhich said stemv passes,

.the top of the nut being spaced from the closure so that as such stemrises the lower end `ot'its groove is closed by the closure before itsupper end is opened by the cap,

a pipe leading from the' interior of the cap,

andan exhaust mounted on the cap, -for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aHiX myV signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESTER B. HOVELL.

lVitnesses:

W. VVAKEFIELD, E. T. FENwIoK.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

